These boots were made for trott'n...

It was rainy yesterday and more rain was expected so I didn't ride. Instead I put his bell and splint boots on and turned him out in the ring to watch him "go"- I didn't want to lunge him yet. Isn't he cute in his boots? :-) He looks so fancy:-) So those of you that watch the video, give me your opinion on how he's "going" would ya? Ignore the end where he completely ignores me :-x

and here's another video for those that love his tongue trick :-p

Shoe Day

PonyMan got new shaa-ooz today, he went almost 6 weeks , which is unheard of for Mr. Lester. But it wasn't like we were doing much this set of shoes. Ever since he got his last set he was "off", OK, I'll say it, he was LAME. I hate admitting that because everyone jumps to conclusion that it must be bad shoeing by my farrier...And it's not. I had the right idea about the act/ process of the shoeing is what makes him sore, just didn't have the right joint it effected most:-/ I (and Dr. Matt) feel certain it's been his knee all along (blood came from the needle prick for the top injection). Dr. Matt said that knee pain is somewhat rare and there aren't many cases where he's had to inject a knee before. I always thought it had something to do with his shoulder or his hindend :-x Everthing just seems to add up more and more. I didn't give Less any bute last time he got shoes because I thought he didn't need it sense he had the fetlock injection. Wrong move on my part. So today Less got all the extras. I rubbed his knee down with the Absorbine gel liniment, gave him his bute and he got his Ichon shot. I also walked him and jogged him some before I put him back in his stall.

I got on him for the first time since the knee injection on Sunday and he was a good boy. We didn't do much, just walk and a few trot steps- Dr.'s orders. But I did notice that he was not bared down on the bit unwilling to let go and he was more willing to turn right:-) Same thing yesterday, and then today he had off because he got his new shoes. Dr. Matt wanted me to wait longer on getting him shod because of the flexion required in the knee, but his shoes were a day away from falling off. And since Ronnie comes from so far away he only had today available. I didn't plan the injection/ shoes perfectly, but hopefully it doesn't set us back too bad.

Less was pretty good for his shoes as always, but he seemed a bit nervy, not sure why. He had his hind feet waiting in the air for Ronnie everytime he came for them, but he also poop'd twice which he NEVER does. Reason # 567 that I love about him is he can come into the barn, get tacked up, come back in and get untack and not leave any poop! My heart always swells with pride when Less is in the barn and another horse poops and he doesn't:-) I've probably just jinxed myself for life now....:-p

I didn't know what my shoe bill was going to be today, and when I told Matt what it was and I said "I gave him an extra $30 for gas", he went all day thinking I had said an extra $130 :-o No wonder I got a "budget" lesson from him, LOL. I know I'm not good with money, but I am not that bad!

"Over-caste on my Parade"

I decided at the last minute to put LimLim and Kadabra in our town's parade :-) I thought it would look good on K's resume if she did well. My work sponsored it and so I asked if the dogs could tag along...I had no idea what to expect :-p If it hadn't been such sort notice I would have dressed Kab in a sign saying "Fast Reliable Service" and Limo in one that said "the other guys"- We are a Cable/Internet/Phone provider company :-)
We soooooooo lucked out with over caste weather! So I didn't have to worry about their feeties on the hot pavement...Limo seemed pretty OK at first, but then the High School Band started up 8-0 and she had a GrimLim melt down. We were first, directly in front of the band, but I moved us up in front of our work truck and that helped a little. Lim quickly realized that no one was going to come up to her and that the noise was just noise so she stopped trying to get away from me and settled alittle bit. She was still bug-eyed throughout and had her tail tucked, but she lived! Kadabra on the other hand didn't fret about any of it. She is Parade proof!

First pic is "Before the band started" and 2nd is an after :-p

So sorry Jen....

Most of you have probably wandered over to my sister's blog, Never Say Never Greyhounds, before...

I'm just so sad for her:-( I don't even know what to say. Change happens so fast, one day they are fine and the next they aren't.

Travis is her super star greyhound who has won countless agility titles and more. Why is it that the good ones seem to go "young". I know 10+ isn't young, but I still feel damn cheated that I lost my Spooky at 11 years and 3 months:-( Travis has been diagnosed with liver disease.

Why does it seem like the "bounces" (greyhounds that are returned by their heartless, stupid owners at age 8 and up seem to hang on forever?

Travis' story is a facinating one... click here to read it.

I have been told many times that the price of love is the grief we feel when it's gone and that is so true.

Pin the injection on the ....KNEE

According to Dr. Matt I should have a *new* pony in a week or so :-) I think I will too, just don't know how long the newish pony will last... so last night we repeated all flextion tests again he even tried to torque his shoulder to see if we could get a *positive* which really is a *negative* in my book :-p response (I've never understood the logic behind giving results like that!) But the only positive flextion we could get was in his knee...His fetlock joint/ ankle flexed good actually, he rated him much better this time. He hoof test'd his front feets and found a tad bit of heel pain, but when we blocked him (numbed the area) he was still lame. Injecting the knee joint with HA takes 2 pricks. Too bad it wasn't like a buy one get one deal :-p When the top of the knee was prick'd there was bloody discharge :-o which is a sign of inflammation for sure, the other prick was mostly a clear fluid as it should be.

I asked Dr. Matt on his opinion for joint supps and he gave me a big O' zero hand symbol. Like most vets he doesn't think the oral supps do much. He did say that if he had to use one he'd probably do the Cosequin, I think there is even one out there now with HA. But I've been told by more than one vet that I should just save the money and do injections or Adequan. I also asked about Adequan adding longevity to the joint injections and he said let's wait and see how he responds. Gosh the loading doses of Adequan are about the same or more than a joint injection! :-o

So Sterman Lester had to stay in for the night. We had Frosty (Dr. Matt's Wife's horse who pasture boards there) to babysit him in the barn so that worked out well for Less and I! He was doped up and happy when I left :-)

He will be able to go back out to pasture tonight and hopefully by Saturday I can get on him. I need to call in some shoes for him too! $$$$ :-/

OK, I just have to LOL, my bosses just came over here and asked me something about Lester and I told them I spent another $400+ ( I had blood drawn again to test his T3 and T4 levels also) on him yesterday and one goes "How much do you think you've spent on him all together" - $20-30k? LOL, I had to tell them shoes alone cost me $200 a month :-p Like I say, Less is lucky he's so cute!